The First Grade Magistrate Court in Mzuzu has sentenced and convicted a 21 year old Lameck Chisale, to 12 years imprisonment with hard labour for defiling an eleven year old girl in Masasa residential area

The Court sitting before First Grade Magistrate Anthony Banda heard that the convict, on May 15, 2013 reported home with relish and ordered his wife to prepare it for supper.

While the wife was busy in the kitchen, the convict allegedly sent the victim to buy him a bottle of mineral and when she reported the girl was puzzled to be directed to enter into the master bedroom. No sooner had she entered into the room than the convict over powered her and went ahead defiling the victim.

The convict was caught pants down by his wife who got suspicious of her husband’s strange altitude towards the victim on the material day.

The victim made a revelation that the convict had been defiling her for over 5 times, on condition that he was to purchase her new clothes. This reportedly coaxed the victim who eventually fall prey to sexual advances by the convict.

Police prosecutor Inspector Vickness Simwinga bemoaned the increase of defilement cases in the city. She further observed that though perpetrators are paraded before court, such cases are refusing to die due to lenient sentences mete out by the courts.

She then prayed with the court to give out a sentence which would not only reform him but

Simwinga then prayed with the court to give out a sentence, which would not only reform him but also act as a signal to the aspiring offenders.

The convict pleaded guilty to the charge of defilement, which contravenes section 138(1) of the penal code.

In mitigation he pleaded with the court to exercise leniency adding that he is a breadwinner for his family and feared that his aging parents would languish in his absence.

In his ruling Magistrate Banda concurred with the State that though the convict was a first offender but deserved a stiffer sentence to curb the malpractice.

He observed that being the guardian; the convict had the duty to protect the victim from any form of violence other than defiling her. He further said that the offence committed attracts a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with hard labour.

He then handed him a jail term of 12 years imprisonment with hard labour.

The convict hails from Mwamadi village in the area of Traditional Authority Machinjiri in Blantyre District.